Happy New Year!

January 1, 2012

Happy new year!  I hope this one is better than the last.

Here is a little update on my socks.  For some reason I don't seem to be able to concentrate on any one project of late.  These have been on the needles for a while, but I find that some projects bother my shoulder more than others and by spacing out several different mediums I have less pain.

Sock number one is done to just past the heel...I still have to do the second heel, but I thought you might like to see it anyway.  I am using the Lucy Neatby "Cool Socks Warm Feet" book.  This heel is the short row garter stitch with wraps.  I absolutely love this heel as it is very cusiony. (sp).  My heels bother me when I have to stand for long so this is a good thing.  Also with the purl bumps on the outside the stitches aren't as noticeable on the bottom of the foot.  I have at times even made the entire foot with the purl bumps on the outside of the foot.

I strictly use double pointed needle's, 5, 4 per sock and one working needle.  This means two sets of needles, and no second sock syndrome.  LOL

I am very pleased that I still remember how to knit socks!  These will be mine all mine, and they FIT!

Finally finished!  Today is January 3, 2012.  They have been done for a week or so, turned out a little too long for my foot and will be gifted to my friend Dana for house socks/slipper.s

Maybe a little 'Sock Knitting'

December 2, 2011

I decided to see if maybe I could pick up my sock knitting again.

Unfortunately this has never come easily for me, and it also hurts my hands.  Not to mention I have mostly weaving yarns, not knitting yarns.

However, recently, a Ravelry buddy sent me some cotton and merino wool blend very fine yarn and I thought I would give it a shot again.

I decided to do my usual toe up socks on double pointed needles.  I am using a traditional toe and will use some sort of short row heel.  I am making my socks opposites of each other.  The toe, heel, and upper trim o the cuff on each sock will the opposite color of the other.

I am using size 2 (American) needles on 56 stitches.  I double stranded the yarns as I don't like teeny tiny forever knitting.  This also means if I miss a thread the other one keeps the socks integrity  and I am less likely to find out I dropped a stitch later on...again knitting doesn't come easily to me.  

This pair will probably be just plain old stockinette till I get back into the groove of it.  

Here is what I have so far.  The proverbial knitting basket.  Notice the little weaving in the bottom, this was done years ago on my tapestry loom.  It is my own hand scoured, hand dyed with kool aide, hand spun and hand woven piece!  One of my very favorites that I kept for myself.

See how the colors are opposites!

Already lots of frogging and re-knitting, but since I can rest my arm on the recliner arm rest, it doesn't hurt me as bad as the weaving.  So far so good.  Let's just hope they fit!

I may have to do some pine needle basket weaving also.

I've been doing some spinning also!

October 13, 2011

Here is another one of my on-going projects.  Spinning up some wool on my hand carved spindles by Ms. popsicletote from Ravelry!  Aren't they cool!  The yarn isn't bad either.

I have had the roving for quite some time now.  As a matter of fact I have a LARGE basket full of roving in storage that I just keep chipping away at.  I think this will turn out to be sock yarn at some point...not sure though, I might try weaving it into something who knows. 

It spins up nice and fine and I usually use my spindles as support spindles in my lap in my recliner as I am listing to the television.  Aren't the colors vibrant!  Did I mention I am into the Fall colors lately?

This spindle is a phang, and it is carved of cypress and spruce.  The whorl is bark!  How cool is that?

 

I added the phone for a size reference. 

Did I mention Fall colors?  lol

I love the way all of the roving looks in one basket with all of those vibrant colors.

And I have even been chipping away at some cotton roving.  Spinning is great when I am don't have a particular weaving idea going on in my head.  I love using my own hand coiled pine needle baskets too.  Hand crafted anything is the bomb!  This spindle is one I got in a swap along with the pink and yellow roving you see in the basket above.  Great for cotton.  Just the perfect weight.  Not that I know much about the technical end of spinning yarn.

 

O.K. I think I am all caught up now.  See ya soon.  Gotta go work on those Christmas presents.